


Friendship

by orphan_account



Category: Wolf 359 (Radio)
Genre: Also there are violence mentions, And food mentions, And kinda references to torture stuff, And murder mentions, Gen, I mean no one likes Hilbert right now, this is dark
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-19
Updated: 2015-09-20
Packaged: 2018-04-21 13:12:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 925
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4830344
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Hilbert and Lovelace have a chat.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

"Captain Lovelace," Hilbert said without turning around. "How pleasant to see you. I am done my staring out the window time." He shifted his weight, pressing against the plexiglass until he was facing her. "I have saved glass of seaweed coffee for you." Hilbert gestured to the cup with both his handcuffed hands. "It is not much. I have little for hospitality."

Lovelace looked at the glass with a mix of distain and distrust. "I'm not very thirsty, Dr. Selberg."

Hilbert drifted over and picked up the coffee with both hands. "Coffee is cold, but safe. I do not try to poison you, Captain." He shrugged stiffly and took a sip. "I have no tools in this room."

Lovelace moved forward at his words, closing the distance between them and knocking the cup from his hands. Brown beads of liquid drifted upwards. "Minkowski isn't here, Selberg. You know how I feel about unfinished business."

"You kill me, you die also. Trade a pawn for a rook. Not good trade." Lovelace's eyes widened in question. "I know your type. You think you are so calm. So rational. Neit. You are all anger. So you cannot kill me. You rage, your hands at my throat, your heart racing, and -" he gestured with open palms, "Boom."

"Who told you about the bomb?" Lovelace's voice was cold with anger. "After your little trick, I didn't think you'd have have friends left on the Station." 

"Hera talks to me. Eiffel, Minkowski, they do not talk. But Hera, she talks. She sings when I try to sleep. Yells until I am awake. But she cannot always talk and say nothing." He glanced at the speaker. "Maybe she will let me sleep, now she knows I listen?" 

Hera said nothing in reply. 

Lovelace stared at Hilbert. "You still think this is a game? You killed people, Selberg. You killed your friends. Hui and you were always in the lab together. Lambert used to help you hide on Talent Show nights. These people were your friends and you murdered them." Her voice was a steady rhythm, a litany of crimes. Then, much more softly, she asked, "How could you do it, Sasha?" 

"I have joke." Before Lovelace could protest, he put up a hand to silence her. "You used to love jokes. I have joke for you now." He cleared his throat. "Two friends, Ivan and Dmitri, they live in Old Country. Things, they are not so good. Ivan says, 'Dmitri, I will go to America.' But Dmitri will not go. What to do? They will write letters, da, but the censors will read the letters. How can they be friends if censors stop the letters? So they have a plan. Dmitri will buy two pens. One is red, one is black. If what he writes is truth, he writes with black pen. If it is not so true, he writes with red pen." Hilbert smiled grimly. "Many months go. Finally, Ivan gets letter. 'Ivan,' it says, 'Things are so good here! There is so much food, shops are full, work is easy, police are kind. There is only one thing not so good. I cannot buy red pen.'" Hilbert turned back to the window, ignoring the spots of brown coffee that were now dotting his white lab coat. "You do not laugh? Is good joke."

Lovelace watched his back as she answered, "No, Sasha, I'm not laughing."

Hilbert nodded to the window, watching Lovelace's reflection make its way to the door. "Goodbye, Captain Lovelace. Next time you come, please, bring hot coffee."


	2. Chapter 2

The next time Lovelace came, she had a cup of coffee in one hand. The other held a handful of wires. "Hera can be a bit nosy," she explained. "I wanted to chat in private, this time." Hilbert nodded and reached for the coffee. With a chuckle, Lovelace handed it over. "Aren't you worried I poisoned it?" 

Hilbert gave her his usual tight shrug. "Coffee is always cold when Minkowski brings it. Hot coffee is good." His lab coat still had the stains from the last cup they'd shared. "It is very quiet since last time you visited. Hera does not talk to me. Is like I am alone. Thank you."

Lovelace frowned at his comment. "So she hasn't told you how close we are to blasting this tin can out of the sky - and you with it?" 

"Neit. But I know the ship we built. I know only Dr. Fourier can make it work. I do not worry. I will have much staring out the window time."

"Ah." Lovelace shifted closer to Hilbert. "I've been thinking about the joke you told me last time we talked." 

"Da?"

"Where is Dr. Fourier?"

Hilbert gave her a satisfied look. "Why you think she is alive?" 

"You think you're the biggest genius around here, but she's the only one who could get the ship to work. I don't think you'd get rid of an asset so quickly," Lovelace explained, her voice smug.

Hilbert looked away, not meeting Lovelace's gaze. "I answer, you build ship, Hera and I explode. Is poor trade." He finished the coffee and flicked the cup away, watching it float. 

"I've been working on a Plan B for Hera. I could add you to it," Lovelace offered. 

Hilbert nodded. "Da. Fourier is in the terrarium." 

Lovelace gave him a sharp look. "The Hephaestus doesn't have a terrarium, Selberg."

"And you have no Plan B." Hilbert sighed. "Thank you for the coffee, Captain. We will chat again. I am sure."


End file.
